Former RIZIN champ Manel Kape notches first promotional win with violent flying knee KO at UFC 265

Manel Kape likely would’ve been a frontrunner for a performance bonus had he not missed weight.

With his back potentially against the wall, former RIZIN champion [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag] finally picked up his first UFC win Saturday in Houston – and he did so in style.

Against Dana White’s Contender Series signee Ode Osbourne, Kape (16-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) landed a jumping knee that floored his opponent and ended the fight at the 4:44 mark of Round 1.

Although flying knee finishes often grace the UFC’s list of post-fight performance bonuses, Kape is ineligible to receive one due to struggles on the scale. At Friday’s weigh-in, Kape missed the flyweight limit by three pounds.

After the fight, Kape called for a performance bonus, possibly unaware of the rule. However, he was informed by UFC commentator and former dual champion Daniel Cormier about his disqualification from consideration.

With the win, Kape snapped the two-fight losing skid that kicked off his UFC career. Kape’s most recent four wins have all come by knockout or TKO.

For Osbourne (9-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), the defeat returns him into the loss column after a January win over Jerome Rivera. In his three UFC fights to date, Osbourne has competed in three different weight classes, ranging from flyweight to featherweight.

UFC 265 took place Saturday at Toyota Center. The main card streamed on ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

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